


By Some Chance or Twist of Fate

by Midnight_Queen



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: And also for some foul language, And one (1) sexual innuendo, Because this is Julian we're talking about, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, It's kind of a mess, Julian doesn't even want to be here, Julian's pirate phase, My apprentice did not sign up for this nonsense, Pirates, awkward first meetings, but they make it work, rated T for some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 15:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16221518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnight_Queen/pseuds/Midnight_Queen
Summary: That night he broke into her shop was not the first time they met. Apprenticing in his clinic during the plague was not her first encounter with him. Before Vesuvia, before the plague, the count’s murder, death, and memory loss, there were two young adults who met by chance one day on a ship. The first meeting between Julian and my apprentice, Esperanza, from a past neither of them remembered for a long time."Esperanza had noticed the other ship earlier in the morning. She thought nothing of it at the time. Over the last few days more ships had been appearing as they neared the port. No one on board their ship had worried about it. Until the other ship raised a black flag with a white skull and crossbones. Strings of curses were uttered in several languages, and the ship bustled with activity more than usual.“Pirates!” someone yelled down the stairs, alerting anyone who remained below deck. Esperanza vaguely registered the captain, her father, ordering the crew to battle stations as she searched wildly for her older brother."





	By Some Chance or Twist of Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Arcana visual novel, or any of those characters mentioned in this piece. It all belongs to Nix Hydra.

Esperanza had noticed the other ship earlier in the morning. She thought nothing of it at the time. Over the last few days more ships had been appearing as they neared the port. No one on board their ship had worried about it. Until the other ship raised a black flag with a white skull and crossbones. Strings of curses were uttered in several languages, and the ship bustled with activity more than usual.

“Pirates!” someone yelled down the stairs, alerting anyone who remained below deck. Esperanza vaguely registered the captain, her father, ordering the crew to battle stations as she searched wildly for her older brother.

“Antonio!” She called, catching him by the arm as he ran past her. The young man whirled his head around to face her, ignoring his dark brown hair as it whipped around to hit his face with the movement. His green eyes were full of concern.

At that moment, Esperanza noticed that the other ship had drawn up alongside theirs, and pirates began boarding their ship in earnest. Chaos ensued around them as a battle began. Esperanza cursed under her breath.

“Where’s your sword?” Antonio asked, pushing Esperanza behind him and slotting his shoulders against hers so the two fought back to back. Esperanza heard the distinct ring of metal and knew Antonio had drawn his own sword. She grimaced, ducking a swing from an unarmed pirate, and hitting him in the ribs and face in quick succession.

“It’s still in the cabin, I left it there this morning.” Esperanza replied, drawing a dagger from a sheath in her boot and slashing at another man as he made to attack her. When she withdrew her dagger, she brought both hands up to a defensive position in front of her face, bouncing once on the balls of her feet and shifting her weight.

“World of good it does you in there!” Antonio exclaimed, blocking and maneuvering around a sword cut aimed at his head.

Esperanza huffed, pushing a lock of sandy-blonde hair that had escaped its bun out of her face. She parried a punch as it came at her head, pulling the man’s arm past her, and drawing his body into the kick she threw into his stomach. Esperanza pushed him aside.

“I’m going to get it.” She stated as she felt her brother press his back to hers again.

“How do you plan on making it all the way back to the cabin?” Antonio responded. Esperanza took a moment to gaze towards the bow of the ship, taking in the raging battle between her position and there, wondering herself how she planned to get to the cabin.

“Not sure yet.” She murmured. Esperanza could not see her brother’s face, but she could practically feel him rolling his eyes at her.

“Don’t you dare die on me. I’ll kill you. And then papá will kill me. And Mamá will resurrect us both and kill us again.” Antonio said. Esperanza smiled.

“Only because Mamá knows she taught us better.” She smirked. “Don’t worry, Toño. I can handle this.” Esperanza replied, ducking under her brother’s arm and darting ahead.

* * *

 

From the moment Julian boarded the merchant ship, he tried to stay out of the fighting as much as he could. He ducked and maneuvered away from many of the brawls, narrowly avoiding being pushed overboard. Julian noted a figure, smaller than most men on the ship, dart out from behind a young man roughly his own age brandishing a sword, and head towards where Julian guessed the captain’s quarters were. The figure ducked under or around the pirates, fitting in strikes with fists or elbows where they could. Julian realized with a start that the figure was a young woman. He felt his eyebrows raise as he watched her plant one hand on a barrel and vault over it, aiming a kick at a nearby person as she did.

He felt someone shake his shoulder and spun around, ready to throw a punch at the person. He stopped mid-swing when he recognized Peter, the second mate of the pirate crew.

“Devorak! I’ve got a job for you!” Peter announced, navigating them through the fray towards the bow. Julian raised an eyebrow. “You see that young lady there?” he asked, point towards the young woman Julian had noticed. She was standing in front of what Julian assumed was the door to the captain’s quarters, fiddling with the handle. “She’s the captain’s daughter.” Peter explained.

“And what exactly do you want me to do with her?” Julian asked, swallowing hard as a knot twisted itself in his stomach. He wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to that question.

“If this fight goes sideways, the captain’ll pay a pretty penny to get her back. I want you to watch her. Make sure she doesn’t go anywhere in case we need to ransom her.” Peter explained with a smirk.

Julian was suddenly aware that the young woman had thrown open the doors of the captain’s quarters and was looking around inside for something, and he and Peter had come up right behind her. Julian bit his lip.

* * *

 

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” a voice asked from behind Esperanza as she tore through the cabin, looking for where she had left her sword.

She froze, heart pounding in her chest as she looked over her shoulder to see a stout, brown-haired man with a beard and distinctly predatory look in his dark eyes and a smirk that made her skin crawl. She turned partly around, taking a step back into a defensive stance, noting that the man was not alone. Next to him stood a much taller man with grey eyes and his wavy-curly auburn hair tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He shifted uncomfortably, looking around the room. Esperanza cursed internally, wishing she had found her sword before they snuck up on her. Forcing herself to think past the panic bubbling inside her, she squared her shoulders and leveled the bearded man with a glare.

“What exactly _do_ you think you have here? And what do you want from me?” She asked, pulling her upper lip into a sneer.

The bearded man laughed loudly, clapping his companion’s shoulder. Esperanza took this split second of distraction to run, pushing past the taller man and bolting for the door. She almost grasped the handle before the bearded man caught her around the waist. She growled, landing a punch in his stomach before he pushed her away, sending her stumbling backwards and hitting the wall, hard. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other man flinch.

“What I think I’ve got…” the man started, taking a few steps towards her. “Is a bit of insurance, we’ll say. If this fight don’t go well, I bet you dear old dad, the captain, will pay us a lot of money not to hurt you.” He said. Esperanza felt her eyes go wide. _They’re going to ransom me._ She realized.

“And what makes you think I’m just going to _stay_ here?” She asked, trying to keep her voice steady. The bearded man barked a laugh and gestured at his companion.

“That’s what he’s here for. Doctor Devorak here is going to keep an eye on you until we need you, since, you know, we need you alive and unharmed and all.” The man explained. Esperanza clenched her jaw and lifted her chin, giving the man she now knew as Doctor Devorak a defiant look as he stepped forward and put a hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“I think she gets the idea, Peter. And I think they might need you on deck.” He said. Peter nodded as he walked back towards the door.

“You know what to do if she gets feisty with you, doc.” He called over his shoulder as he left, shutting the door behind him. Esperanza’s heart dropped as she heard the lock click into place.

She turned her attention to the doctor. She noted earlier that he was tall. Now Esperanza noted that he was impossibly tall, taller than her father and her brother, and certainly towering over her. He was lean, and had sharp, angular features, and high cheekbones. _He’s rather handsome, actually. Too bad he’s a damn pirate and trying to ransom me_. She thought.

* * *

 

Julian crossed the room, sitting on the bed and stretching his long legs out in front of him. He felt the young woman’s eyes on him, looking him up and down and trying to decide how much of a threat he posed.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.” He said, looking up at her. She rolled her eyes and said something in a language Julian did not understand. He had heard it spoken more frequently as he sailed in this part of the world, and figured it must be the native language here.

The young woman sat on top of the desk, untying the leather cord that held back her sandy-blonde curls. She tossed her head back, tying her hair up again, watching Julian out of the corner of her eye as she did so.

“Why should I trust you?” she asked, turning to face Julian, looking directly at him and raising an eyebrow. Julian froze for a moment, struck by the young woman’s piercing green eyes. He took another moment to get a good look at the young woman. She was fair-skinned, though not quite as pale as he was, and with her hair pulled up he could clearly see the defined lines of her cheekbones, jawline, and her neck. She almost reminded him of the porcelain dolls his grandmothers had. _That is, if the porcelain dolls looked as if they were about to kill me. And unlike the dolls, there doesn’t seem to be anything fragile about this woman_. He thought, noting the fire in her eyes, and the way she folded one leg underneath herself, as if she could spring off of it at any moment.

“I-uh. Well, really, you shouldn’t. We hardly know each other, after all.” Julian replied, stumbling over his words. “But! I am a doctor! I prefer to heal people rather than hurt them.” He replied, laughing slightly. She laughed along, and Julian felt himself smile.

“I suppose that’s fair enough, doctor.” She said, a small smirk on her face. He took note of the slight accent she spoke with, finding it charming.

“I never did catch your name, my dear.” Julian stated after a moment. The woman raised an eyebrow at the endearment.

“I never gave it.” She said, swinging her foot back and forth, one of her boots clunking softly against the wood.

“May I ask what it is?” he continued. The young woman smiled, nodding slightly.

“Esperanza.” She replied.

“A lovely name.” Julian commented after a moment, smiling brightly at her. Esperanza smiled back and opened her mouth to reply when three loud knocks sounded on the door.

* * *

 

Julian sprang to his feet, striding across the room to the door, taking Esperanza by the arm and pulling her along as gently as he could. Another one of the pirate crew opened the door and Julian’s grip on her arm suddenly tightened and Esperanza made a discontented sound. He turned to look at her over his shoulder and she could see the distressed look in his stormy eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered quickly, pulling her forward as a few pirates, one of whom she remembered as Peter, argued with her father.

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Esperanza whispered back. _If you’re going to do something, now’s your chance_. She thought. The other pirates seemed to be focused on the argument taking place on the main deck. She took a deep breath, deciding to seize her opportunity.

Esperanza bent her arm up sharply, pinning Doctor Devorak’s hand. She kicked the back of his knees and positioned herself behind him as he fell forward into a kneel. She drew her dagger from her boot again, hiding it up her sleeve and wrapping her arm around the doctor’s neck, effectively putting him in a choke hold. He made a muffled sound of surprise, and shifted slightly against her.

“Don’t.” Esperanza warned, tightening the choke slightly. She heard a soft snicker from the doctor, and furrowed her brow.

“You know what, Esperanza? I’m not even mad, this is fair.” Doctor Devorak whispered. Esperanza shrugged one shoulder.

“Maybe…But what did I _just_ say? Stop talking.” She hissed.

“Yes ma’am.” He replied. Esperanza could practically _feel_ him smirking. She sighed heavily, but had no time to comment. Her attention was drawn to Peter raising his voice loud enough for everyone on the ship to hear.

“Well, then, _captain_. Would you change your mind if you knew we had your daughter?” He called, sweeping his arm in a gesture to where Esperanza and the doctor were. All eyes turned to her.

“Funny story about that, actually.” She replied with a laugh, her voice loud enough for all to hear.

* * *

 

Julian swallowed hard as Esperanza spoke with the pirate crew. If he was being honest, he was not paying much attention to what she said. From his position, with his head tilted back as her forearm pressed against his throat, he could see a self-satisfied smirk on her face, and he assumed that the discussion had turned in her favor. _Oh…That’s a lovely expression on her._ He mused. _What am I doing? Nothing about this situation should be even vaguely…exciting…And yet, here I am._ He thought, feeling his face flush. 

He paid attention, however, when Esperanza’s smirk fell from her face and her jaw clenched. The fire he had seen in her eyes earlier returned. Suddenly, she wrapped her free hand around his ponytail and pulled his head back hard, producing a knife from the sleeve of her shirt and shifting to press it against his throat. Julian gasped, trying to steady his pounding heart, and to focus on something other than the young woman’s hand in his hair. _This just became a life or death scenario. If anything, you should be afraid, not aroused._ He told himself desperately. _Why not both?_ Part of him wondered.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” Esperanza called, a threatening edge to her voice. “You see, I’d _hate_ to have to hurt the good doctor. But…If I have to…” She trailed off, putting more pressure on her knife, not enough to cause any serious injury, he knew. But it was enough to draw blood, and keep the attention of whoever was doing the negotiating on the main deck. Julian drew a shaky breath as Esperanza eased pressure off the knife. She glanced down at him, and Julian saw remorse and concern etched across her face.

The next thing he knew, Esperanza was hauling him to his feet, and escorting him down to the main deck. Apparently, it had been negotiated that the pirates would leave. Julian did not know the exact terms of the agreement, he would admit to not paying much attention, but the looks on his crewmates’ faces told him it was not a favorable arrangement for them. Julian found he did not care much.

He stood near the railing of the ship and turned to look at Esperanza. She bit her lip, looking down at her feet and blushing bright red. Julian tilted his head and furrowed his brow, clearing his throat to draw her attention. Her head snapped up and she smiled sheepishly at him.

“I’m terribly sorry about roughing you up back there, Doctor Devorak.” She stated. Julian smirked and was about to reply when she continued. “No, really, I am. I almost seriously injured you, and I would like to sincerely apologize for it.” She finished, looking up at him earnestly.

“O-oh! Don’t worry about it at all, my dear! I’m fine, uh, as you can see.” Julian replied quickly, wincing internally at how awkward he sounded. “Besides...” He continued, smirking. “I happen to like it a little rough.” He finished, winking. He watched, slightly amused, as Esperanza’s facial expression changed rapidly from confused, to slightly scandalized, to irritated.

“Get off my ship.” She told him, shaking her head slightly and blushing again. “Before I take back that apology and make you leave. Or toss you overboard.” She said, snickering.

“Promises, promises.” Julian replied with a teasing tone, catching a rope that had been thrown to him from the other ship. “If by some chance or twist of fate we happen to meet again, Esperanza…Please, call me Julian.” He said, giving a genuine smile before he took hold of the rope. Esperanza smiled brightly back at him as he swung back to the pirate ship.

Julian watched the merchant ship for a moment longer. Someone called for Esperanza, and he watched her turn around and be promptly embraced by a young man with dark brown hair. He lifted her off the ground for a moment before setting her back down, cupping her face in his hands, and speaking rapidly. For a moment, Julian’s heart clenched and he wondered if they were romantically involved. The notion evaporated as he watched an older man, clearly the captain of the ship, hurry over to embrace both of them, and Julian noticed the distinct resemblance between the captain and the dark-haired young man.

 _She’ll be safe. She has a brother and a father who will watch after her…Even if she can clearly handle herself._ He assured himself. _I hope I’ll see her again someday. And that I’m a better man than an unlicensed doctor on a pirate ship when I do._ He thought, smiling, even as someone yelled for him, going on about how he had only had _one_ job.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fic for this fandom! I might write some more about my apprentice in the future. I hope you enjoyed this fic! Please leave me a comment if you did, and have a good day/evening/night!


End file.
